800m

I discovered last Thursday where all the badass' hang out in Portland. It's this place, one of the only Triathlon specialty shops in Portland. Perhaps against better judgment Keegan and I are doing a triathlon in July. I'm thinking of it as a baby-step to the half marathon I started training for like a year ago. So, we've been training for a few weeks. As I feel fairly confident in my biking and running abilities (at least for the distances of the tri) I've been focusing on the swimming portion of the race and I've got two built in swim coaches, so it's been pretty easy-peasy for me. 

Actually, it'd been easy-peasy until yesterday. I found myself at the Home of Portland Badasses because I was renting a wetsuit. A wetsuit for an open water swim. An 800m open water swim in a lake in Oregon in May.

I emailed a friend a play by play, and she said I should share it with the Internet. So, here ya go. 

I left the house at about 7:20. Was at the lake by 8:20. Wandered around totally lost for about 4 minutes before realizing where to check in and get my cap. Checked in. Got my cap. Walked down to the starting tent. Asked some questions. There was a 2000 and 4000 swim yesterday too, and I wanted to know the  course for my paltry 800. Got answers to my questions. Went back to car. Put wetsuit half on (everyone else was walking around with just the bottoms on and then like a sweatshirt or jacket, so it seemed like the thing to do). Texted my parents to let them know where to go. Grabbed my stuff from car. Walked back to waters edge. Set up camp at a picnic table. Talked to another girl who had done open swims before but not recently. She was doing the 2000 though (crazy). Then talked to a couple veterans. Tried to pry them for details/advice. Meandered down to waters edge at about 8:50am. It was an in-water start, so I got in to about my knees. Felt squishy bottom. Worried about leaches. Decided to not worry about leaches, as I had would potentially have bigger problems in about 7 minuets. Water started to seep in from somewhere on my right leg. I worried that that wasn't normal. Decided not to worry unless I got really cold. Did some stretching, tried to look like I wasn't a total newbie. Looked over my shoulder as the guy with the bull horn announced the race would start in one minute. While I looked over my shoulder I saw my parents join the crowd on shore. Waved to them. They waved back. Almost started crying. Turned back around to face water. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. GO. Started swimming. Totally didn't freak out about the number of thrashing swimmers around me. DID totally freak out about not being able to see anything when my face was in the water, was also oddly startled by the cold water on my face. Struggled to find my stroke on the way to the first buoy. Struggled to find a balance in the water with my new found buoyancy thanks to wetsuit. Also started thinking that the neck of my wetsuit was too tight, thought about trying to adjust it but saw visions of myself getting tangled and strangling myself in a lake, decided to just let the neck be tight. Maintained a place at the front of the pack of slow people by doing breast stroke, still oddly freaked about not being able to see in the water. Rounded the first buoy. Flipped over onto my back to take a bit of a breather. Noticed there were patches of blue sky. Backstroked/kicked on my back most of the way to the second buoy. Passed two people (booya!). Swam next to a lady who was huffing and puffing around the second buoy. Narrowed my eyes and really tried to freestyle with face in water on my way back to shore.Was about 30% successful. Went back to breast stroke. Half way back to shore from second buoy started to get tired. Flipped over onto back. Flipped over and did breast stroke. Saw parents scanning the swimmers. Waved. Watched parents wave and cheer. Passed the final buoy. Put feet on ground. Worried about leaches again. Stepped out of water onto shore. Took off goggles. Volunteer recorded my number. Wobbled out of tent. Got two big hugs. Walked back to picnic table. Got a "congratulations" from the veterans. Took off cap. Had a drink of water. Made mental note that I was both more capable and less capable that I imagined.

Learned a lot. Have mental notes to improve for next time. Actually am looking forward to "next time." Want to do "next time" with me?